Insurance Institute Releases Mazda2 Crash Ratings

On January 6th, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) released its crash ratings for the 2011 Mazda2. The car earned ratings of “Good” for Frontal Crash and Rollover, and “Acceptable” for Side Crash and Rear Impact. IIHS ratings, from best to worst, are Good, Acceptable, Marginal, and Poor. Full information on these results can be viewed at http://www.iihs.org/, where Mazda2 is part of their “Minicar” class.

The IIHS performs a frontal offset crash test, where 40% of the front of the car crashes into a fixed barrier at 40 mph. In the side-crash test, a 3,300 lb moving barrier strikes the side of the test vehicle at 31 mph. In the IIHS roof strength test, a metal plate is pushed against one side of a roof at a constant speed. To earn a good rating, the roof must withstand a force of four times the vehicle's weight before reaching five inches of crush. The rear impact test is a simulated rear impact conducted on a sled, and used to assess how well the seats support the torso, neck, and head of a test dummy in a rear impact. The test simulates a rear-end crash with a velocity change of 10 mph, approximately equivalent to a stationary vehicle being struck at 20 mph by a vehicle of the same weight.

With six standard air bags, standard Dynamic Stability Control, and Triple-H body structure, Mazda2 has always placed a high priority on occupant safety. These new IIHS ratings reinforce for our customers that safety is part of the Mazda2 equation.